The autobiographical narrative “Incident of the Life of a Slave Girl” unveils casualties of life faced by black women during 19th century. A special attention Harriet Jacobs gives to a sexual relationship with Mr. Sand and moral values of black women. Thesis An “illicit” sexual relationship with Mr. Sand described in the Narrative does not reinscribing the stereotype of the black woman as lascivious and hypersexual, but proves that the black women are loving and sympathetic creatures seeking for a relationship based on romantic love.
Love and romantic relations between a man and woman has played a crucial love in their lives. For Linda Brent, an “illicit” relationship with Mr. Sand means pure relations free from social statuses and financial gain. Harriet Jacobs stresses that love and passion are typical for the black woman even if she is engaging in the “illicit” sexual relationship. As the most important, Harriet Jacobs underlines that the black women could not move beyond the constrictions of the ideology.
The existence of the institution of marriage, in which men played the dominant role and wielded control, placed women at the mercy of their male counterparts. At the beginning of new millennium, there are more and more people who prefer not to get marriage, but living together for many years trying to keep or preserve their personal freedom and independence. The example of Linda Bret shows that in spite of all the negative life lessons Linda understands what it is to be an individual and loving woman.
The autobiography portrays that the black women are not promiscuous or lascivious, but loving and sympathetic creatures. In this case, it is important to take into account the epoch and economic system of slavery which deprived black women their rights and freedom. Linda Brent is a person who uses love as her emotional guide. But love symbolizes psychological state of Linda who becomes more passionate and sympathetic.
The problems, unveiled in the autobiography, are received much publicity, because for some people these problems are too intimate or dedicated, they touch personal feelings and human soul. Linda Brent is suppressed by the norms and circumstances, her own narrow worldview and personal low spirits which make her dependant upon life situations. One of the secrets of Linda Brent is her natural beauty, which lies in the way she perceives the world.
Through the character of Linda Bret, Jacobs depicts that that to the black woman who had survived the illusions that freedom and marriage would provide lifelong companionship and identity, and who had come to recognize the existential solitude of all human beings, feminism became a kind of credo. For the black women love means dream which comes true. In this sense, she is a victim because she needs to escape from realities of life which she cannot change.
She is a victim of social structure and class conflict which destroy human relations and hopes. The autobiography suggests something of the historical loss for women of transferring the sense of self to relationships with men. Her sexuality is still her life, just as it made her on the pillory superior to her disclosed lover. Jacobs associates shame over her ancestors with the guilty excitement she felt in taking up the story. Her love throughout is maternal compassion for what is vulnerable to the passage of time. But her mind does not recoil from such pain; Linda Bret never avoids disquieting realities. But it is precisely an indiscriminated change, this stream of undifferentiated random perceptions, which is called “life”.
The “illicit” sexual relations create a feeling of guilt being one of the reasons that her sexual freedom does not take her very far. It is possible to say that despite their efforts to escape the rituals of femininity, the black women seems fated to reenact them, even though, as Jacobs recounts these scenes and revises their conventions. The values and nature of black women described by Jacobs are not lascivious or hypersexual. Modern values and realities of life support behavior and choice of Linda who wants to love and be loved.
Remember! This is just a sample.
You can get a custom paper by one of our expert writers.
Get your custom essay
Helping students since 2015
Essay Writing Service Features
Our Experience
No matter how complex your assignment is, we can find the right professional for your specific task. Contact Essay is an essay writing company that hires only the smartest minds to help you with your projects. Our expertise allows us to provide students with high-quality academic writing, editing & proofreading services.
Free Features
Free revision policy
$10Free bibliography & reference
$8Free title page
$8Free formatting
$8How Our Essay Writing Service Works
First, you will need to complete an order form. It's not difficult but, in case there is anything you find not to be clear, you may always call us so that we can guide you through it. On the order form, you will need to include some basic information concerning your order: subject, topic, number of pages, etc. We also encourage our clients to upload any relevant information or sources that will help.
Complete the order form
Once we have all the information and instructions that we need, we select the most suitable writer for your assignment. While everything seems to be clear, the writer, who has complete knowledge of the subject, may need clarification from you. It is at that point that you would receive a call or email from us.
Writer’s assignment
As soon as the writer has finished, it will be delivered both to the website and to your email address so that you will not miss it. If your deadline is close at hand, we will place a call to you to make sure that you receive the paper on time.
Completing the order and download